The week in art news: Frank Auerbach dies at 93, police smash forgery network, artists announced for Venice Biennale 2026 and more…

Frank Auerbach, painter who fled Nazis for Britain dies, 93. Auerbach was born in Berlin, 1931 and escaped to Britain on a Kindertransport in 1939. In London, he studied under David Bomberg at the Borough Polytechnic. Here he met fellow refugee and lifelong friend Leon Kossoff. Auerbach’s thickly layered paint and meticulous method. He often repeatedly erased or overpainted entire canvases. Distinguished him among the so-called School of London. He continued working until his death on Tuesday 12 November.

Italian police smash major forgery network. Around 2,100 fake artworks, supposedly by Banksy, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and others have been seized. It’s estimated that the fake works had a potential market value of €200M (£165M). The investigation discovered six forgery workshops located across Europe that supplied fake works to Italian auction houses. The forgers even put on two exhibitions of fake Banksys in Mestre and Cortona. Over the past year, 38 people have been arrested. It’s a sign that forgery is a serious issue in the art world!

Franco-American relations reach new low as Yank curators say Gustave Caillebotte was gay. The claim is made in the current exhibition of the Impressionist’s paintings at the Musée d’Orsay. French co-curators are – predictably – outraged, less so by the claims, more so by le woke-isme americain they think is being forced on the museum. The Americans disagree. Gloria Groom at the Art Institute of Chicago said, “I was amused, because he was saying the Americans inflicted their wokeness on Paris.” In fact, “the idea for this exhibition came from Paris.”

50 years since a silicone dick shook up the art world: In November 1974, Artforum featured an a double-page spread of the artist Lynda Benglis, nude, lubed up, wielding a double-ended dildo. The photograph – and the fact Benglis had bypassed the art review process by making it a paid ad – led to several editors resigning, as well as an instantly iconic image. To celebrate that moment, Pace Gallery have put together an educational feature on why the Artforum advertisement was such a shock.

News from down under: an Aussie museum has come under fire for acquiring a graffitied sheet of plastic. The acrylic sheet was originally installed over Frederick McCubbin’s 1889 painting ‘Down on his luck’ at the Art Gallery of Western Australia to protect it from protestors. In January 2023, the work was spray painted with the logo of energy company Woodside, in protest of the destruction of indigenous art. It’s now been acquired by the WA Museum Boola Bardip.

No romance in Rome: a major conservation project has shut down Rome’s famous Trevi Fountain and with it the tradition of throwing coins in the water for good luck in love. The historic fountain has been drained of water and a scaffolding walkway has been installed while the works are underway. The local council are also talking about introducing a ticket system and a €2 fee to stop overcrowding. If you were betting your love life on a few cents, don’t worry, a temporary tub of Trevi water has been installed next to it.

New York Frick Collection will reopen in April 2025. The Manhattan museum closed in 2020 to allow for a major upgrade of its fifth avenue location. During that time it was rehoused in the Breuer Building, Madison Avenue, with only a small amount of its full collection on display. When it reopens, follow Frank O’Hara’s advice, take a date to the Polish Rider.

Liverpool Biennial announces artists for 13th edition. 30 artists and collectives, including Sheila Hicks, Anna Gonzalez Noguchi, Kara Chin and Mounira Al Solh, will take part in the city wide art show between 7th June and 14th September 2025. This year they’ll be responding to curator Marie-Anne McQuay’s theme of ‘Bedrock’ – you can take that literally or metaphorically.

Venice 2026 pavilions announced. The year’s international art exhibition isn’t over yet, but Ireland, Estonia, Canada and Luxembourg have already announced their artists for the next edition: Isabel Nolan, Merike Estna, Abbas Akhavan and Aline Bouvy. The curator and theme for the upcoming edition haven’t yet been announced.